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Involve your family in whatever you do: Suniel Shetty

Actor Suniel Shetty and wife Mana's dream project, R HOUSE — a furniture and home lifestyle store offering interior solutions, located at Worli, Mumbai — will be launched this evening in a grand ceremony. The actor spoke to TOI about his comeback to films and establishing new business ventures with family.

You are doing five films this year?

Enemy, Shooter, Lights Camera Action, Afra Tafri, Point Blank — I have five films up for release, other than the ones that are starting this year! Almost all are hardcore action films, something I was always known for. The sequel to Border and Hera Pheri's next installment are also on the cards. I didn't do films for the past two-three years. Not that I didn't want to, but I got caught up with production and because it was a disaster, wrapping up the mess took time. Now, my focus is on acting, our real estate company and the lifestyle store, which is my sister's and wife's dream. I have backed them completely.

Your family is closely associated with your new business ventures.

At a time when families are fighting over property and business, I'm glad we are together. My philosophy is, involve your family in whatever you do. Nothing gives you more joy. My elder sister Sujata, who has been in the US for long, is back. She looks into finances and administration. My younger sister Sumita takes care of marketing and strategising. She gives her inputs from the US. Mana is all about aesthetics; she is the creative face of the company. I'm all about greenery, nature, water and plants. That is the element that I have brought in. I started my clothing brand when I was 18. After 30 years, all of us have come together to take the brand forward. My dad left home (Mangalore) at the age of nine. He came to Mumbai and worked as a cleaner boy.

He then became a pantry boy, waiter and manager. Later, he helped others set up their restaurants and finally, owned one. R HOUSE used to be a hotel called Race View years ago, where my father had worked as a cleaner boy! He went on to own the place later.

Your sprawling R HOUSE is quite unique.

It is a lifestyle store with all interior solutions. From furniture and artefacts to helping you grow an organic garden, the store is environment-friendly, centrally located and affordable. Ninety per cent of our merchandise is Indian. Indian artistes are neglected. Mana has handpicked unique products from across the country, even the smallest of towns. This is not a one-off store. I want to branch out and when that happens, my product tag will read 'proudly Indian' along with our tricolour. Anybody with a good taste is our target customer.

Mana: The store cannot be bracketed under any category. It's about complete homes, furnishing, flooring, green world, fusion of different looks and diversity of products.

You've also ventured into real estate.

Good, green and environmental living is what S2 Realty & Developers Pvt.Ltd, our real estate company, stands for. S stands for Suniel, Sujata, Sumita and Shetty. R House is a vertical of our real estate company. We believe in second homes and working on destinations. We want people to believe that their second home is their first home. Discovery is our first real estate development project.

Can you elaborate?

Discovery (Khandala) has 21 villas, 500 trees. It's about discovering nature. John Abraham's father and brother have worked on its architecture. No tree has been cut while the villas were being constructed, we have worked around them. No vehicles are allowed inside the compound. There are 21 electric buggies to take you to your house. This will avoid pollution. Wind chimes have been put up around the houses to give utmost comfort and pleasure. Senior citizens' comfort has also been considered. Goa and Mangalore are next on cards.

How different is the business of films from your new projects?

I work five days a week. I need to be secure. Things change in Bollywood every Friday. I don't want to depend on anyone. I spent 20 years as an actor, letting my heart rule over my head. In business, my head needs to rule over my heart.